Social Good

How you can fight to save net neutrality on the Day of Action and beyond

Five years ago, the internet successfully rallied against two pieces of legislation that activists argued would have destabilized the internet and stifled free speech. Now, the online community is using the lessons learned from those protests to launch a similar and equally necessary fight — the fight to protect net neutrality.

Wednesday marks the Day of Action to Save Net Neutrality, a widespread effort to defend the idea that internet access should be equal and accessible for all. More than 80,000 websites, companies, organizations, and internet users are coming together to fight the FCC's plan to reverse Title II, the legal framework that forbids internet providers like Verizon, AT&T, and Comcast from favoring or discriminating against any online content, apps, or services.

Hundreds of major sites like Twitter, Facebook, Google, Snapchat, Reddit, Netflix, Amazon, Spotify, and Vimeo have all joined the fray. These and other Day of Action participants hope to send the FCC a clear message: Net neutrality is crucial to maintaining online free speech, innovation, and creativity — and rolling back regulations is a disastrous idea.

Fight for the Future, one of the organizations behind the Day of Action, is the same nonprofit that helped lead the charge against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in 2012. Tens of thousands of websites went dark in protest of the bills, and big companies like Google, Facebook, and Wikipedia participated in an unprecedented web "blackout." Days later, Congress postponed the bills indefinitely in a clear victory for the online community.

"The internet has given more people a voice than ever before, and that transformative power is worth fighting for."

In 2014, Fight for the Future, Demand Progress, and Free Press also spearheaded Internet Slowdown Day, during which major sites gave users a taste of what slow internet speeds could look like without net neutrality. The public sent 4 million comments to the FCC.

Now, the Day of Action to Save Net Neutrality is the latest initiative to solidify rules that safeguard an open internet, and prevent service providers from interfering.

"The goal of the protest ... is to ensure that ordinary people have a voice and are heard by decision makers in Washington, D.C.," Evan Greer, campaign director of Fight for the Future, said in a statement.

"The internet has given more people a voice than ever before, and that transformative power is worth fighting for," Greer added. "July 12th we will come together to defend the future of free speech."

There's plenty you can do to help, using the very tool you're fighting to protect: the internet. From contacting your representatives, to spreading awareness on social media, to filing a comment with the FCC, here are seven simple ways you can help save net neutrality on the Day of Action and beyond.

1. Get informed.

Step one for taking action on any issue: Know what you're fighting for. The issue of net neutrality may seem daunting at first glance, but at its heart, it's just a matter of making sure internet service providers (ISPs) can't control what you see or do online in favor of their own interests. In other words, they need to treat all web traffic fairly and equally.

The FCC actually adopted strong net neutrality rules in 2015 under the Obama administration, forbidding ISPs from blocking websites, censoring content, throttling connections, or charging more for access to "fast lanes" (which would ultimately favor big companies and leave smaller websites in the dust). But net neutrality is under threat once again because the FCC's new Trump-appointed chairman, Ajit Pai, is looking to eliminate these regulations.

In May, the FCC voted to roll back Title II regulations, with Pai arguing that they've stifled innovation and stymied broadband access. For the 90 days following the vote (until Aug. 16), the FCC will be collecting comments from the public on the new proposal before it drafts legislation to be voted on again.

Here are a few essential resources you should check out before taking further action:

A good overview of net neutrality from the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Welcome to the middle of 2017 in the Trump era, when the act of calling or writing to politicians is second nature.

One of the best ways to make sure your voice heard is to tell your senators and representatives that you support net neutrality, and oppose the FCC's motion to roll back regulations. You can easily find the exact phone numbers you need to call through 5calls, the Free Press Action Fund (also available at the Save the Internet website), and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

3. Sign the petition.

The very concept of net neutrality allows for petitions to reach all internet users on an equal and fair basis, regardless of what's being petitioned. Change.org is making that clear with its "Save Net Neutrality" petition, which explains how without net neutrality, a petition against an ISP like Verizon could be blocked or censored.

You can sign the petition, which already has more than 33,000 supporters, to tell the FCC and Congress that you support an open internet.

"We're a social good company powered by technology that empowers anyone anywhere to take action on the issues they care about," Change.org writes on the petition's description page. "A closed-off internet means fewer ways for millions of people to make the change they want to see."

4. File a comment with the FCC.

The FCC is soliciting comments from the general public on its new proposal, Docket No. 17-108, and it's the perfect opportunity to tell them how you really feel. You can learn how to file a comment through the FCC website here, or easily submit a prewritten comment through the ACLU here.

For pro tips on how to write a next-level, impactful FCC comment, click here.

5. Own a website or app? Alert users to take action.

Image: Fight for the Future

If you run a website or an app with a sizable audience, you have a lot of power to get the word out about net neutrality. The Battle for the Net website has set up several easy-to-use tools that help you create pop-ups, alerts, and ads, which can lead users to sign a petition, contact their representatives, or file a comment with the FCC.

6. Spread awareness on social media.

Let's face it — net neutrality isn't exactly the sexiest topic. While you may be increasingly interested in showing your support, your less digitally savvy friends and family might not even know it's an issue that deserves their attention. (Or they'll get to "Title II" in any article and promptly fall asleep.)

Spread the word on social media and say it loud and clear: threats to net neutrality affect everyone, and they can take these easy steps to help.

WATCH: What is net neutrality?

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